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Moorings vs berths – is there a difference?

As a company with ‘berth’ in our name, we tend to use the words ‘Marina berths’ a lot when we are describing what we have available for sale or rent.

But what if someone is searching the internet for a mooring? Will they find our listings? Will Google point them in our direction? As a business owner, you can lose sleep over something like this!

So we wanted to investigate – is there a difference between the term Moorings and Berths? Or is it just that some people call them by one name and other people by the other?

Moorings vs Berths – dictionary definitions

Let’s start with the definitions given to us by the dictionary.

Mooring

noun

1. a place where a boat or ship is moored.” they tied up at Water Gypsy’s permanent moorings”
   • the ropes, chains, or anchors by or to which a boat, ship, or buoy is moored.”the great ship slipped her moorings and slid out into the Atlantic”

Berth

noun

1. a ship’s allotted place at a wharf or dock.” the vessel had left its berth”
2. a fixed bunk on a ship, train, or other means of transport.”I’ll sleep in the upper berth”

verb

1. moor (a ship) in its allotted place.” they planned to berth HMS Impregnable at Portsmouth”
2. (of a passenger ship) provide a sleeping place for (someone).

Reading these seems to indicate that the words Berth and Mooring can be used interchangeably to describe the place where your boat ties up.

Moorings and berths are both terms used to describe places where boats can be anchored or docked.

The key differences are –

A mooring is a type of anchorage that is typically used for attaching the boat to a buoy or anchor that is anchored to the seabed. Moorings provide a temporary or semi-permanent location for a boat to rest while at anchor, but they do not provide access to electricity, water, or other amenities.

A berth, on the other hand, is a designated spot in a marina where a boat can be docked on a more permanent basis. Berths usually offer more amenities and services, such as access to power, water and rubbish disposal facilities. Depending on the marina, you may also have access to showers, toilets, parking and other on-shore facilities. Marina berths are usually assigned to boat owners on a long-term basis, either through ownership of the berth or annual rental or sublet agreements.

In summary, the word moorings may indicate a location where the boat can tie up but have little or no access to other facilities. Whilst berths better describe a location where owners have access to additional facilities at the marina.

Contact Triangle Berth Brokers today to discuss how they can help you to find the perfect berth for your boat.